INTRODUCTION The thought of After-life is taught in different ways in different religions,which means there are many ways for a spirit to go on after it has completed life on earth. We all die, but where do we go after? Many Religions have big influences to what you believe about the after-life.
HINDUISM/BUDDHISM
"It is the necessity of "reaping one's karma" that compels human beings to take rebirth (to reincarnate) in successive lifetimes." -Pasricha and , Stevenson's. "Near-Death Experiences of Hindus Pasricha and Stevenson's research."Near-Death. N.p., 2007. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/hindu.html>.
Hinduism believes that karma shapes and determines if the atman, which is the basically the spirit of a person, will progress or return to different caste among the Hindu culture. One may begin their life in the lowest caste, and that person is given his or her karma that they have to follow throughout their time on earth. That person can either pursue their karma and live the life they were ment to live, or go against their karma for reasons good or bad, and only decrease there caste or become apart of the lower caste again in the next life. Your Atman get to choose it's fate in their next life by their decisions in their current life, which is similar to Buddhism in many ways.
"Following death, according to Tibetan Buddhism, the spirit of the departed goes through a process lasting forty-nine days that is divided into three stages called "bardos." At the conclusion of the bardo, the person either enters nirvana or returns to earth for rebirth." -J Zammit, Victor.How different religions view the Afterlife.. N.p., 2001. Web. 2 Nov 2011. <http://www.victorzammit.com/articles/religions3.html>. This is interesting because it shows there is some process between when you die and how your next life is determined. The Bardos comes in to play in both Hinduism and Buddism religious beliefs. The bardos is believe to determine the if you enter "nirvana," which is extinction and not continuing to reincarnation. The first bardo starts in "Chikai" a 1-4 day period, the stage where the spirit is dropped from the body and so called, "Going into the white light". The next stage, the "Chonyid" bardo is the period of time when the spirit revisits it's life including good and bad event of the persons karma. The last stage the "Sidpa" Bardo which is the stage of reincarnation. The one difference with Hinduism and Buddhism is how they view karma. Buddhism beliefs are focus so that the main goal is to reach the end of your karma, while Hinduism lets you choose your own path.
CHRISTIANITY/ISLAM
"Many Christians hold the simple belief that an individual avoids Hell if the sum of their good deeds outweigh the bad."
-Robinson, B.A. "Diverse Christian beliefs in salvation: Who gets to go to Heaven; who to Hell?." Religious Tolerance . Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2001 to 2011-APR-15. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_savb.htm>.
Christianity believes what you do (or don't do) will determine if ones spirit will enter the gates of heaven. While some may sin it is possible to still pass through to heaven, but the do this by becoming saved, confessing one's sins to Jesus Christ. A person wants to have more good than bad things they do throughout their life, so that they are guaranteed heaven. Christian's don't believe in resurrection like many eastern religions do they believe in a heaven and hell, and what you do on earth will be guiding your path to one or the other.
"When human beings die, they remain in a sort of interworld (barzakh), a realm located closer to the luminous cosmic center, until the day of resurrection"
Islamic Symbol
-Thoreau, Henry David. "Near-Death Experiences of Muslims The way of the heart." Near-Death . N.p., 2010. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/muslim.html>.
When an Islam believe dies, the person enters the inter-world called Barzakh. This place is the resting ground for for all souls to wait for the day of resurrection. A person is believed to me Allah (god) and be shown their fate of their after-life. One can see heaven or hell, but their fate is determined by Allah on Judgment Day, the end of the world.
"When the Day of Judgment arrives, everyone is judged according to their deeds in life."
Symbol for Allah
-Thoreau, Henry David. "Near-Death Experiences of Muslims The way of the heart." Near-Death . N.p., 2010. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/muslim.html>.
The end of the world Judgment day the day the souls will enter back into their bodies. The concluding day where one will get their fate chosen by Allah granting them to heaven or to hell. Islamic views on people outside their religion is that if they are a good person on earth, they will have to go through the fires of purgatory, or purification to enter heaven with the rest of Islamic souls.
CONCLUSION In conclusion, After-life beliefs are disconnected and connected throughout different religions. They are connected in some ways because they've had similar origins, like Buddhism and Hinduism show signs that connect them like the way they follow their karma to advance further in their after life experience. Also they can differ like when Islam believes in god judging your life after your dead and Hinduism believes in the karma judging where you go after you die. In all we all die but what we believe in determines what happens to us in the after-life.
WORK CITED "It is the necessity of "reaping one's karma" that compels human beings to take rebirth (to reincarnate) in successive lifetimes." Pasricha and , Stevenson's. "Near-Death Experiences of Hindus Pasricha and Stevenson's research."Near-Death. N.p., 2007. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/hindu.html>. "Following death, according to Tibetan Buddhism, the spirit of the departed goes through a process lasting forty-nine days that is divided into three stages called "bardos." At the conclusion of the bardo, the person either enters nirvana or returns to earth for rebirth." J Zammit, Victor. How different religions view the Afterlife.. N.p., 2001. Web. 2 Nov 2011. <http://www.victorzammit.com/articles/religions3.html>. "Many Christians hold the simple belief that an individual avoids Hell if the sum of their good deeds outweigh the bad." Robinson, B.A. "Diverse Christian beliefs in salvation: Who gets to go to Heaven; who to Hell?."
Religious Tolerance. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2001 to 2011-APR-15. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_savb.htm>. "When human beings die, they remain in a sort of interworld (barzakh), a realm located closer to the luminous cosmic center, until the day of resurrection."
"When the Day of Judgment arrives, everyone is judged according to their deeds in life." Thoreau, Henry David. "Near-Death Experiences of Muslims The way of the heart."
Near-Death. N.p., 2010. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/muslim.html>. REFLECTION
We learned a great amont about foreign religions that we aren't familiar here in america. Overall this unit taught us to learn about a religion before we judge it.
Also we got to embody different religious figures in our "spirituality roll play".
I choose this topic because I felt like we don't really know where we go after we die it's really based off religion. while researching this topic i found that many religions view death in the same way but after-life is totally different.
I feel good about me final product because it shows overall, that we all die but what we believe in determines what happens to us in the after-life. I feel the strength were the analysis and the weekness was not enough primary sources.
The thought of After-life is taught in different ways in different religions,which means there are many ways for a spirit to go on after it has completed life on earth. We all die, but where do we go after? Many Religions have big influences to what you believe about the after-life.
HINDUISM/BUDDHISM
"It is the necessity of "reaping one's karma" that compels human beings to take rebirth (to reincarnate) in successive lifetimes."
-Pasricha and , Stevenson's. "Near-Death Experiences of Hindus Pasricha and Stevenson's research."Near-Death. N.p., 2007. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/hindu.html>.
Hinduism believes that karma shapes and determines if the atman, which is the basically the spirit of a person, will progress or return to different caste among the Hindu culture. One may begin their life in the lowest caste, and that person is given his or her karma that they have to follow throughout their time on earth. That person can either pursue their karma and live the life they were ment to live, or go against their karma for reasons good or bad, and only decrease there caste or become apart of the lower caste again in the next life. Your Atman get to choose it's fate in their next life by their decisions in their current life, which is similar to Buddhism in many ways.
"Following death, according to Tibetan Buddhism, the spirit of the departed goes through a process lasting forty-nine days that is divided into three stages called "bardos." At the conclusion of the bardo, the person either enters nirvana or returns to earth for rebirth."
-J Zammit, Victor. How different religions view the Afterlife.. N.p., 2001. Web. 2 Nov 2011. <http://www.victorzammit.com/articles/religions3.html>.
This is interesting because it shows there is some process between when you die and how your next life is determined. The Bardos comes in to play in both Hinduism and Buddism religious beliefs. The bardos is believe to determine the if you enter "nirvana," which is extinction and not continuing to reincarnation. The first bardo starts in "Chikai" a 1-4 day period, the stage where the spirit is dropped from the body and so called, "Going into the white light". The next stage, the "Chonyid" bardo is the period of time when the spirit revisits it's life including good and bad event of the persons karma. The last stage the "Sidpa" Bardo which is the stage of reincarnation. The one difference with Hinduism and Buddhism is how they view karma. Buddhism beliefs are focus so that the main goal is to reach the end of your karma, while Hinduism lets you choose your own path.
CHRISTIANITY/ISLAM
"Many Christians hold the simple belief that an individual avoids Hell if the sum of their good deeds outweigh the bad."
-Robinson, B.A. "Diverse Christian beliefs in salvation: Who gets to go to Heaven; who to Hell?."
Religious Tolerance
. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2001 to 2011-APR-15. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_savb.htm>.
Christianity believes what you do (or don't do) will determine if ones spirit will enter the gates of heaven. While some may sin it is possible to still pass through to heaven, but the do this by becoming saved, confessing one's sins to Jesus Christ. A person wants to have more good than bad things they do throughout their life, so that they are guaranteed heaven. Christian's don't believe in resurrection like many eastern religions do they believe in a heaven and hell, and what you do on earth will be guiding your path to one or the other.
"When human beings die, they remain in a sort of interworld (barzakh), a realm located closer to the luminous cosmic center, until the day of resurrection"
-Thoreau, Henry David. "Near-Death Experiences of Muslims The way of the heart."
Near-Death
. N.p., 2010. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/muslim.html>.
When an Islam believe dies, the person enters the inter-world called Barzakh. This place is the resting ground for for all souls to wait for the day of resurrection. A person is believed to me Allah (god) and be shown their fate of their after-life. One can see heaven or hell, but their fate is determined by Allah on Judgment Day, the end of the world.
"When the Day of Judgment arrives, everyone is judged according to their deeds in life."
-Thoreau, Henry David. "Near-Death Experiences of Muslims The way of the heart."
Near-Death
. N.p., 2010. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/muslim.html>.
The end of the world Judgment day the day the souls will enter back into their bodies. The concluding day where one will get their fate chosen by Allah granting them to heaven or to hell. Islamic views on people outside their religion is that if they are a good person on earth, they will have to go through the fires of purgatory, or purification to enter heaven with the rest of Islamic souls.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, After-life beliefs are disconnected and connected throughout different religions. They are connected in some ways because they've had similar origins, like Buddhism and Hinduism show signs that connect them like the way they follow their karma to advance further in their after life experience. Also they can differ like when Islam believes in god judging your life after your dead and Hinduism believes in the karma judging where you go after you die. In all we all die but what we believe in determines what happens to us in the after-life.
WORK CITED
"It is the necessity of "reaping one's karma" that compels human beings to take rebirth (to reincarnate) in successive lifetimes."
Pasricha and , Stevenson's. "Near-Death Experiences of Hindus Pasricha and Stevenson's research."Near-Death. N.p., 2007. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/hindu.html>.
"Following death, according to Tibetan Buddhism, the spirit of the departed goes through a process lasting forty-nine days that is divided into three stages called "bardos." At the conclusion of the bardo, the person either enters nirvana or returns to earth for rebirth."
J Zammit, Victor. How different religions view the Afterlife.. N.p., 2001. Web. 2 Nov 2011. <http://www.victorzammit.com/articles/religions3.html>.
"Many Christians hold the simple belief that an individual avoids Hell if the sum of their good deeds outweigh the bad."
Robinson, B.A. "Diverse Christian beliefs in salvation: Who gets to go to Heaven; who to Hell?."
Religious Tolerance. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 2001 to 2011-APR-15. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_savb.htm>.
"When human beings die, they remain in a sort of interworld (barzakh), a realm located closer to the luminous cosmic center, until the day of resurrection."
"When the Day of Judgment arrives, everyone is judged according to their deeds in life."
Thoreau, Henry David. "Near-Death Experiences of Muslims The way of the heart."
Near-Death. N.p., 2010. Web. 8 Nov 2011. <http://www.near-death.com/muslim.html>.
REFLECTION
We learned a great amont about foreign religions that we aren't familiar here in america. Overall this unit taught us to learn about a religion before we judge it.
Also we got to embody different religious figures in our "spirituality roll play".
I choose this topic because I felt like we don't really know where we go after we die it's really based off religion. while researching this topic i found that many religions view death in the same way but after-life is totally different.
I feel good about me final product because it shows overall, that we all die but what we believe in determines what happens to us in the after-life. I feel the strength were the analysis and the weekness was not enough primary sources.